From Acne To Pregnancy, Here’s Every “Preexisting Condition” That Could Get You Denied Insurance Under Trump’s New Healthcare Bill

The American Health Care Act, the GOP’s Obamacare replacement plan, passed the Houseof Representatives on Thursday. What counts as a preexisting condition that could get you denied coverage under the new plan?

Preexisting conditions were a term used by insurance companies before the Affordable Care Act to classify certain diseases or health problems that could deny a person insurance coverage or make their coverage more expensive than those whowere considered healthy.

Before the ACA

An estimated 27% of Americans under 65 have health conditions that could leave them uninsurable, accordingto the Kaiser Family Foundation. Some of the preexisting conditions that insurers declined coverage to before the ACA, according to KFF, included diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, which affects millions of Americans.

One of the critical parts of the ACA was prohibiting health insurers from denying coverage or charging more for people with preexisting conditions. That wentinto effect starting in 2014, and it’s still the case.

That means that if you had any of that litany of conditions listed above (let’s say asthma), you still could have the same insurance as someone who managedto have a clean bill of heath, and someone who isa cancer survivor, pregnant, or obese.

How preexisting conditions could return

The version of the AHCA that just passed the House includes the MacArthur amendment which can allow states to avoid some of the regulations the ACAimposed. That policy, experts argue, could weaken the regulations around preexisting conditions.

Republicans, on the other hand, argue that the bill protects those with preexisting conditions.

“The amendment is very clear: Under no circumstance can people be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition,” House Speaker Paul Ryansaid in a release.

But the difference between being denied coverage and not being able to afford coverage is the gray area that has people concerned.

“The various patchwork solutions offered by lawmakers would still leave the millions of patients we represent, who have serious and chronic health conditions, at risk of not being able to access life-saving treatments and care,” a group of 10 patient advocacy organizations saidin a release Wednesday.

The bill now has to pass the Senate, and Senate Republicanshas signaled potentially scrapping the House’s bill and coming up with one of their own.